


Lightkeeper

by Anniss



Series: Charmes Merfolk AU [2]
Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Lighthouse keeper Charon, M/M, Merman Hermes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29595948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anniss/pseuds/Anniss
Summary: A lonely soul meets his warmth on an outcropping in the middle of a vast, harsh sea. Endeared to an opposite, they strike up an unusual friendship, while tides of change rage around them.
Relationships: Charon/Hermes (Hades Video Game)
Series: Charmes Merfolk AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2174295
Comments: 21
Kudos: 68





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Welcome! Before we start, I just wanna say that for any of this to make sense, I'd *STRONGLY* recommend you go read the second chapter in the previous work of this series, which strangely enough is kinda sorta the first chapter of this series? Does it make sense? No, but I also never thought we'd even get this far. Thank you! <3
> 
> (Oh also warning for pretty descriptive fish gutting in this chapter, in case that makes you uncomfy. It's just at the very beginning, though!)

The next appearance came much sooner than Charon anticipated. By that he thought he’d never see Hermes again, but the merman seemed very intent on repayment. Charon was just minding his business, standing to the brim of his boots in the ocean. He was cleaning a fish he’d just caught, intent on having it for dinner later, when Hermes literally slid into his field of vision. Laying on his back at the water’s surface, as though the waves had simply pushed him in, the picture of casual. The way his head bumped into Charon’s shins, much harder than the waves, belied a bit of propulsion on Hermes’ behalf. This neither startled Charon, nor stopped the radiant smile on Hermes’ face from faltering. He was baffled and unsure as to why exactly Hermes had chosen to seek him out again, though. A quick glance at the rest of him floating so casually at such shallow waters revealed no more nets for Charon to relieve him of.

“Hello there my dear associate! I imagined a slightly more uproarious greeting, but you are as steadfast as ever! Go figure.” Hermes started, seeming in no hurry to move from where he was laying, hands laying laced on his stomach. 

Charon, however, had been doing something, and Hermes was laying right in the middle of his perfectly adequate seawater for washing the blood out of his catch. With a sigh he sidestepped Hermes and resumed his task in unoccupied waters. Hermes took this dismissal in stride, and pushed himself up to sit, now watching what Charon was doing. Charon wondered if Hermes would find it morbid to be watching Charon split open his catch with the same knife he’d saved Hermes from the nets with earlier, but if he did, he didn’t say anything. Well, it was a versatile knife, anyhow.

He grasped its innards tight, and with a yank he split the guts from the fish. He threw them out into the water, where the waiting gulls immediately swooped down to fight for it. Hermes watched it go, and Charon washed the fish.

“Hey, that was a perfectly good heart you just threw out for the gulls. Shame on you,” Hermes said flippantly, but Charon still looked over at him questioningly.

“Oh, don’t look at me with such accusation, my dear associate!” Charon was not. At most there was an eyebrow lifted. “There is more to the fish than simply the meat on its sides, you simply have no taste.”

Okay, now there was a bit of accusation. Charon shook his head, exasperated at Hermes’ antics already, and started scraping out the central blood vessel. 

“Okay, now I get why you remove that one. I don’t like it either, although one of my brothers does, but to each their own I suppose.” 

It was when Charon chopped off the head, and gave that one too to the gulls, that Hermes truly appeared outraged. 

“You just threw out the eyes!?” he exclaimed incredulous, guffawing at Charon’s apparent callousness towards ocean delicacies. Charon’s mask of neutrality broke as he wrinkled his nose at this. Sure, he knew those who’d suck out the eyes and claim them to be the best part, but no thank you. 

“Haha, I’m messing with you again. My uncle loves eyes, but he’s also a weirdo. Don’t tell him I said that, though!” Hermes prattled on, and Charon’s shoulder’s sagged in relief. “Now the brain on the other hand…”

Charon pushed him under the water. He was suspecting Hermes let him. Bubbles of air Charon guessed were being used to laugh at him rose to the surface and burst, and he waited for them all to vanish. Hermes looked up at him when there was no more air, expectant as the sand stilled and lay down around him where he’d impacted with the bottom. He seemed to be breathing just fine down there, so Charon gave him another few seconds to consider his actions before he let go of a soft head and continued his work instead. He heard Hermes breaching the surface only moments later.

“Good for you I’m undrownable!”

Charon grumbled.

Hermes let him do his work in peace this time, cleaning his entire catch, with only a little side commentary here and there. Charon didn’t mind, it was refreshing when all Hermes had to compete with was the screaming gulls, and Charon had long since exhausted his patience for them. His commentary on the diving gulls as though it was the most serious sport even dragged the unwilling snort out of Charon once. Hermes seemed particularly pleased with himself for that one.

When the cleaning was done Charon stood, picking up the wet bag with his catch, and walked onto shore. The commotion behind him caused him to turn, just to watch Hermes scoot onto shore behind him, looking over his shoulder at Charon determined. What, was Hermes trying to follow him? Why? Charon tried to shake his head at him, then pointed to his home, up the swerving path far beyond where Hermes could conceivably pull himself. 

“Hey, you can’t leave just yet, I just got here, and I’ll have you know that even if I’m the fastest thing with fins it’s still a rather long swim,” Hermes started, seeming outraged at Charon continuing with his day as normal. 

“If you leave before I get to give you what I dragged all the way here, I’m going to strongly consider biting one of your fingers off, I swear.”

Charon looked long-sufferingly at Hermes, who seemed deadly serious about it all, and there was indeed something in his hands that Charon simply hadn’t noticed before. He took a glance at the sun, who had managed to creep rather far onto the blue sky while he’d been fishing. It was what decided mercilessly when he had to be up and down, and he’d have to rise before it tucked away under the horizon again. Still, when he looked back to Hermes, hoping to somehow escape and get a decent amount of sleep, the merman had decided to switch tactics and look pleading instead. Charon could feel his resolve crumbling around him, and he knew his fate was sealed. His shoulders dropped with a deep sigh, and Hermes interpreted it absolutely correctly, face lighting up.

“I’ll be quick, I promise, now have a seat!” he chirped, patting the wet sand next to him. Charon held up a finger, asking Hermes to wait, and went to find a rock to weigh down his catch bag so he could put it in the water without it floating away. Then he walked over to his boat, safely up on the beach. Hermes seemed confused by it all, even asking Charon to hurry up, but he wasn’t going to sit down directly on the wet sand. Only after pilfering his own boat cushion did he return to Hermes, and even then he seated himself far further away from the ocean than Hermes had, who was still sitting in the waves as they rolled in. Hermes gave him a dismayed look, but obligingly pulled himself back to sit next to Charon instead of in the water. Charon himself was busy trying to arrange his gangly limbs in a way that didn’t defeat the whole purpose of getting a cushion. In the end he accepted defeat and crossed his legs, sending a silent plea for forgiveness for his now sandy shins.

“All right, good, thanks for hearing me out,” Hermes started, fiddling with what was in his hands. From what Charon could see, it shone vividly, playing in a spectrum of colours. He could admit he was a bit curious. 

“I’ve been thinking of what to give you, a bit of internal back and forth, but I thought that taking something only the lot of us ever see and giving it a bit of a polish should work, so!” Hermes rambled on, words tumbling out faster as he went, until they came to an abrupt end with the shove of what he was holding at Charon. Gingerly Charon picked it out of cupped hands, and for a moment he wondered if it was a gemstone. However, it was thin and curved, and he realized it was a shell, a beautifully polished shell that gleamed in a million colours at once as he turned it in the sunlight. As Hermes had, he cupped it, afraid it would break in his calloused hands.

“Do you like it?” Hermes asked, leaning forwards to look at Charon as he was busy looking at the shell. Charon looked up from it, and nodded, letting a thumb run over the smooth surface.

“Good! Then the first repayment is done!”

Charon, who’s gaze had wandered back down to his hands, snapped up to Hermes bewildered. What did he mean  _ first _ ? Charon shook his head, and after putting the shell in his lap gently, he attempted to sign to Hermes to ask him exactly what he meant. Hermes looked at his hands, and for a second Charon thought there might be hope, but then the awkward smile on the other’s face told Charon all he needed to know.

“Sorry, don’t quite understand you there!” Hermes said, sounding genuinely apologetic, but Charon waved it off. It was worth a try. The fact that they shared a spoken language alone was a baffling coincidence. Charon considered maybe carrying a notebook on him, but it jarred with his inner vision of never getting to see Hermes again.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, Hermes was fine despite seeming desperate to push all buttons possible just to see what they did, but it was befuddling to him that Hermes had any interest in returning. After their little stint with the nets, Hermes shouldn’t risk getting stuck in any of them floating about again, much less sit here on a beach within grabbing distance of a human he barely knew at all. Sure, Charon had decided against catching and selling him last time, but how was Hermes to tell that he wouldn’t change his mind?

Perhaps it was a cultural misunderstanding on Charon’s part, and he’d just have to accept these gifts until the debt was repaid. Then Hermes would be unshackled by the burden of him and could return to his much less risky life. He’d just have to wait and see. Seemed like a reasonable explanation. If he had something to write on next time, he’d try and ask. For now, he spelled out “First?” in the wet sand between them.

“Why I can’t just give you one lousy, difficult to gather and impossibly beautiful, shell as a repayment for my life and well-being, now can I? Yes, it takes hundreds of years to mature, and if anyone found out I took it to give it to you I’d be in so much trouble, but a mere bauble isn’t nearly worth a life, now is it?” Hermes explained, weaving contradictions among each other, and expecting Charon to follow. He tried. He wasn’t all too pleased with what he could gather. Frankly, he wasn’t expecting any payment at all for a bit of common decency, but to each their own.

“So, this is merely a first gift, while I think of something grander and more appropriate as repayment. Hopefully this one can tide you over, though.”

Charon picked the shell back up and turned it in his hand. He’d need to put it somewhere safe. Unbidden a yawn escaped him, jaw creaking with the effort. He hid it with his free hand, but it was terribly ineffective, so Hermes saw it anyways.

“Oh, I’m keeping you up, aren’t I? Terribly rude of me to drop by this late into the day, when I’m guessing you’ve got a busy night in front of you, don’t you?”

Charon tried to wave his worries aside as thought it was nothing, but Hermes was already scooting back towards the sea.

“Well! Time for me to head back and start planning then! See you later, boss!” 

Charon got no further than a half-assed wave, Hermes not even looking. The merman waited no further than the water reaching his hips before pushing himself underwater and kicking off with a flourish, which sent several sprays of seawater right at the tired fisherman. He passed through all stages of grief right into acceptance and closed his eyes as the cold water hit him square in the face.

When he wiped his face, and opened his eyes again, he saw half a head sticking out of the water. The golden fins Hermes donned on his crown beat in the water serenely, working on keeping him afloat, but when he knew Charon saw him he pushed himself further out of the water. The smile on his face was impishly sharp, and Charon somehow just knew that the water dripping off the brim of his hat was intentional.

“All right then, I’ll be seeing you again later. Don’t get stuck in that tower of yours, you hear me? I’m not dragging myself all the way up there, just so you’re aware!” Hermes shouted, and Charon couldn’t help but shake his head at his antics. He made a shooing motion, wishing he could tell Hermes not to worry. Not even he could spend all his time in the tower without something going wrong inside him, be it his brain or starvation. With a last wave Hermes dove back underwater, and Charon pushed himself to stand. 

He gently laid the shell into his breast pocket, where it would be safe tucked next to his heart as he hauled his catch and equipment back up to his living quarters.

Once he crested the jagged rock he lived on, climbing its winding path up to where his abode rested, he turned to look out over the sea one last time. A golden glint, which Charon could predict what was with a tinge of nostalgia. It threatened to bring a smile out of him. Well, it wasn’t like Charon hadn’t turned back to look for him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated, thank you for reading! <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I believed you to have some manners at least, my loathsome associate!” Hermes exclaimed as soon as he lifted enough out of the water for his mouth to break the surface. Charon waited patiently for his sentence, whatever he may be guilty of this time.
> 
> Gifting round two.

It was another slow evening, Charon letting his mind liquefy with the calm sway of the waves. He had woken too early, and found himself unable to get back to sleep, so here he was, passing time until his shift, while feeling like his brain was about to leak out his ears. Even the casting and reeling of the line became so mechanical that he barely registered the silver glint of his lure as he flung it far away to sink into the sea. 

He pondered lighting another cigarette, the stern yet kind internal voice of his mother telling him that she wouldn’t be angry, simply disappointed. He opened and closed the pack a few times, before finally putting it away, reasoning that he would be quite annoyed if he ran out before the next time he could get his hands on more. Sure, he could always travel to shore himself to buy more, he had his earnings saved somewhere for it, but the less he had to go there, the happier he’d be. 

Box tucked away, he got to reeling in, the lure had surely sunk far enough. He wasn’t too far from his shores, but the waters were deceptive in their depth. His own island was an exception, not a rule. 

He was about to retreat into a daydream when the line was tugged. His system shocked him into action, and he held the line taut immediately. Reeling in he expected a fight, but as the weight laid heavily on his rod, it followed him in obediently. That was worse. Either he had fished one of those beasts that had no issue letting him pull them up, only to then freak out at the sight of the boat and snap his fishing rod in half to escape back to the depths, or he would have to dig his hands into a massive ball of kelp to free his poor tackle. 

Deep into imagining that perhaps the kraken itself had decided to play him for a fool before pulling him under to a watery grave, it let go. The line went slack as the previous weight disappeared, and Charon resigned himself bitterly to surviving whatever beast he had caught. The rest of the reel was short, and perhaps that was even more painful. That he had been close to at least catch a glimpse before it went. The silver flash of his metal lure appeared, and he grasped it gently to avoid spearing his fingers.

It was when he looked at the lure that he realized there was still something on it, small and green. He could not be a hundred percent sure up close, but it felt like seaweed, so he tugged it off and slung it back into the ocean.

That had apparently been the wrong thing to do because he heard an indignant squawk and a tremendous splash. Turning towards it he saw a golden tailfin disappear beneath the waves again. Oh. Was that his sea monster?

Hermes didn’t take long to reappear, looking quite sullen as he deigned Charon with half his face sticking out of the water. Charon felt like apologizing, but he wasn’t quite sure what for. Well, he would probably hear it sooner rather than later.

“I believed you to have some manners at least, my loathsome associate!” Hermes exclaimed as soon as he lifted enough out of the water for his mouth to break the surface. Charon waited patiently for his sentence, whatever he may be guilty of this time.

“I can’t believe this, I go through all the trouble of attaching your next present to your hook for you to reel in, you know as a fun surprise, and then you toss it out like small fry!”

Oh, so that’s what had been on his hook. He had tossed out a gift, believing it to be kelp. Charon at least had the manners to feel chagrined at that. Then he realized what Hermes had done, and his emotions flickered over to enraged.

“What, why are you looking at _me_ like that!? Right back at you, Charon!”

To be understood, Charon lifted and pointed to the metal lure, more specifically to its tail end. There was a triple hook, a triple _barbed_ hook. He had enough trouble trying to avoid spearing his fingers on the pointy ends when he was directly in control of them, and he had felt the weight as Hermes had held on and let Charon reel him in. Was he out of his mind, or maybe just not the sort of type with no self-preservation? Considering he kept seeking out Charon, the man in question felt like judging Hermes’ character unsavourily just this once. Hermes raised his eyebrows in realization, but most infuriating of all did not seem worried in the least as a grin spread across his face.

“Oh, the hooks? You think I don’t know my way around little measly bits of metal? Please! I wouldn’t have made it past my tenth year if I couldn’t even avoid those!”

Not at all satisfied with that answer, but also unable to elaborate as to why messing with sharp objects in motion was a generally terrible idea no matter what, Charon petulantly crossed his arms over his chest, glaring down at Hermes.

“Don’t look at me like that, that’s just the wrong way to start this out!” Hermes said, sighing as if he hadn’t been furious with Charon just moments before. Charon felt the will to fight leave him, returning to something far more mellow. Hermes was right, he could take care of himself, getting worked up over the choices of someone Charon barely even knew would be ridiculous. Did not stop Charon from judging Hermes ever so slightly, however. 

“All right, I’ll give you another chance at accepting my present, because I’m just that generous. Sit tight I’ll be right up!” Hermes said, without elaborating at all, and as he disappeared back under the water a sense of dread planted itself solidly in the bottom of Charon’s stomach. This could not bode well. Charon grabbed and held onto the sides of his little boat. 

That was a sound decision, because seconds later, with a tremendous splash, a bolt of gold and blazing orange breached the surface. It was a missile heading straight for Charon, and with a meaty thunk it landed right at his feet, rocking the boat so much he feared he might take a dive himself. He counteracted the sway, leaning away from where it was tilting, and he gave a silent thanks to whatever higher power allowed the boat to not capsize. Hermes, who let out a hiss, rubbed at the hip that had hit the boat first. Or, where his hip would be. Top of his tail? Charon was not very good at merfolk anatomy, admittedly. 

“I’ve gotta practice the landing, but I’d give that one a solid seven out of ten, what do you think my dear associate?”

Charon thought that if he would never have to experience that again in his life, he would be happier for it. He also thought that that wasn’t very likely. 

“Anyways! Here I am! Let’s try this again, all right?”

Charon took stock of the situation, Hermes sitting there in the bottom of the boat, curved with the shape of it, with the tail that didn’t fit hanging off of the side. He was even sitting in the little pool of dirty water running at the very bottom of the boat, caused simply by the activities one did in a boat. Which meant fish gunk. Hermes was looking at him, probably waiting for his affirmative, but Charon replied by pointing over Hermes, at the seat at the rear of the boat. Perhaps Hermes would like to sit a little more comfortably?

“All right all right. I’ll sit all prim and proper, boss,” Hermes said, pushing aside Charon’s tackle bag before lifting himself up to sit on the shelf. Charon was confused. Boss? He tilted his head at Hermes, who’s smile turned ever smugger.

“Yeah, because you’re so bossy. Anyways!”

Charon wanted to file a complaint about that last nickname, but Hermes was not going to give him any room to. Instead, Hermes was going to hold out both hands, and cradled in them was the green thing Charon had tossed earlier. He turned it in his hands, holding it at a bit of a distance so he could see it clearer. It still looked like seaweed, but perhaps that was string? Admittedly he had no idea what he had just been handed. Hermes did not seem very happy at that, if his deep sigh was anything to go by.

“Well, you’ve gotta unwrap it first. I’m not giving you seaweed.”

Ah, that made more sense. Explained the thread too. It wasn’t tied in a neat bow to pull apart, so Charon made do, and pulled forth his knife. Hermes squawked a few warnings to be careful, and Charon thought he should know by now how careful he could be with a blade. Gently under, a tug, and it fell away. Placing the knife back safely in its sheath, he pried the seaweed open, and it was like exposing bone. A creamy white peeked through, but the more he saw, and the more the light could access, the more subtleties of colours danced delicately over a wetted surface. Once he had opened its cradle enough, he could tip it out and into an open hand, where it rolled, weighty and cool. A small thing in the grand scheme of things, but Charon did not think he’d seen anything of its kind grander and more dazzling. A pearl. 

After letting it roll in his hand, unblemished from every angle, he finally looked back at Hermes. Hermes was currently the perfect picture of a coiled spring, energy in waiting. The intense gaze he appraised Charon with held jovial expectations, as his tailfin flicked with constant motion, thwapping his boat like a clock counted seconds. 

“Well? What do you think?” Hermes asked. Ah, this was a situation he was actually prepared for this time.

Charon held the pearl tight in one hand as he gingerly brought out a little notebook and a pencil from his breast pocket. Hermes’ eyebrows raised, and he seemed ecstatic. Well, if the way the fins at his hips and head splayed wide was anything to go by. Charon held him in inevitable suspense, needing a few moments to write, but Hermes was doing his best to peek. It did not take long, and Charon turned the book upside down and held out for Hermes to read.

_It is beautiful, thank you._

It seemed to be the right thing, as Hermes puffed up with pride, smile beaming. The overwhelmingly bright energy Hermes was exuding at the simple thanks felt contagious, and Charon ducked his head to hide the smile threatening to break out on his face too.

“Good! One of Lady Aphrodite’s pearls is a valuable catch, but only the biggest ones would do, I believe,” Hermes said, preening from his own cleverness. Charon did not know the Lady that was mentioned, but he imagined her to be one of Hermes’ kin. That or some other sea creature with a hankering for shiny objects. “Took me a few oysters to find, but they’re delicious, so I wasn’t exactly having a bad time searching.”

_And the lady won’t mind?_

“Well, it was for an honourable cause, I’m sure she’ll understand perfectly,” Hermes said, waving away Charon’s worries. Well, as long as the Lady did not hunt _him_ down for having the pearl.

However, as Hermes moved his hand, Charon noticed something. Reaching out, he caught Hermes’ hand, a motion which seemed to catch the other off guard. He did not seem to mind, simply staring dumbfounded down at Charon as he flattened out his hand, pushing out Hermes’ thumb and tracing the membrane between it and his pointer. Rather, he followed the rift that was there, nearly severing the membrane off the thumb. When Charon looked up at Hermes’ face, the merman seemed embarrassed, as if caught stealing from the cookie jar. Charon himself was feeling rather thunderous.

“All right, so perhaps playing with sharp metal isn’t the wisest thing to do, but it’s just a little tear! Those happen all the time, and besides, I can barely even feel it!” Hermes said hurriedly, but the cringe of pain that jolted through him as Charon’s finger ghosted over the rift itself told on him. 

“Or, well, it’s a little sore now, but it heals up real quick. What’s done is done, I don’t see what the fuss is about here.”

Charon sighed, letting go of Hermes’ hand. He finally put the pearl away safely, letting it rest where the notebook and shell once had, and started writing again. 

_It is not my place to tell you what to do, I simply wish you no unnecessary harm. Especially not for my sake._

Charon saw that Hermes needed a moment to chew on that one, eyes flicking back as though he was reading it all a couple times extra. It seemed to take Hermes a bit, expression introspective, before he answered Charon. 

“Well, had everything gone according to plan, there would be no harm done at all, but how about I strike you a deal: Less unnecessary risks. How does that one sound?” he said, mischievous smirk back in place. 

Charon simply nodded in affirmation. He’d take it, it came at no cost to himself. Truly it would only be a benefit, especially if Hermes was so hellbent on coming up to see him.

Hermes then managed to find something else to distract himself with, picking at the tackle bag he had pushed aside earlier. Charon watched him, believing he would just say out loud whatever was on his mind if he felt Charon should be privy to it. Surely enough, Charon did not have to wait for too long.

“These must be handy for carrying things about,” he mused, opening one of the buckles so he could peek inside. Charon wondered why he did not have one himself, then. Hermes saw his confusion and seemed to intuit where his thoughts had headed.

“You’re wondering why I don’t just get one, then?” A nod from Charon. “Well, metalwork like this is difficult to do underwater, and bones whittled this small tend to fall apart too soon to be practical.” The sigh that escaped Hermes was forlorn in its predicament, but gave rise to an idea in Charon. Revenge, some might say. Despite how a part of him resisted the idea viciously, the gears in his head were slowly getting into motion. It would unfortunately involve traveling to shore, but Charon would survive.

After that they lapsed into a companionable lull, Hermes chattering here and there about this and that. Charon, who had put away his book in favour of returning to fishing, gave his input here and there, mostly nods and unimpressed looks. 

Before they knew it the sky started her metamorphosis to the blazing colours that found their match only in the scales glittering so sweetly in the sun’s kiss. Hermes was halfway through picking his way through a fish he’d managed to plead off of Charon, a necessary lunch for the long trip back, he’d said, when Charon finally laid the rod to rest in favour of the oars. Hermes finished his meal as Charon rowed, looking out over the horizon. He was uncharacteristically quiet, simply absorbing the view. Charon realized it had to be quite different from his usual one.

Charon also had the decency to stop a bit before shore, to let Hermes hop off before they were all the way back to land. 

“My stop?” he asked, smiling cheekily. Charon rolled his eyes. Hermes did not seem to take it to heart.

“Well, I’ve had a surprisingly refreshing time today, despite how it started. See you around then, fellow associate?”

Charon nodded, hoping he got the mutual sentiment of having a decent time across. It seemed so, if Hermes’ expression was anything to go by, and then he started scooting backwards. Before Charon truly understood what was going on, his instincts helpfully urging him to lean backwards to counteract the weight, Hermes heaved himself up onto the edge of the boat, then let himself fall backwards. As his tail followed the rest of him down, the boat shot up, having lost the weight that was previously there. Charon hurriedly leaned back forwards, trying his best to counteract Hermes’ fast and loose decision-making where those who _were not waterproof_ was concerned. 

Charon stayed dry, the boat stayed upright, and Hermes was laughing at whatever expression Charon was wearing. He was not sure what his face looked like, but it was enough to tug peals of laughter out of his audience. Charon gathered himself before the laughter petered off, and with bemused indignation he balled the seaweed he had forgotten to discard earlier and threw it as a mushy ball. The headshot and subsequent yelp were more vindicating than he cared to admit.

With that, and the golden splash of a tailfin, Hermes left. Charon kept looking for him, watching as the golden shine grew murkier, then vanished beneath the waves. Even still, he kept looking, for just an extra moment. It amounted to little, but he did not mind, finally starting the last stretch of his trek to land.

Hermes would return, Charon was growing sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so much for reading, and thanks to everyone who commented last chapter, giving me just that little extra push of motivation! Hope you enjoyed <3


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